Building and air distributing structure



Dc. 16, 1958 B. E. cURRAN I 2,864,300

BUILDING AND AIR DISIRIBUIING STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 4, 195e 4sneeis-sheet I INVENTOR. Bernard E .Curran I BY YMITR, (Land-all.

AT TRNE Y Dec. 16, 1958 B. E. cuRRAN 2,864,300

BUILDING AND AIR DISTRIBUTING STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 4, 1956 y 4Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. Bernard E. Curran BY RM?. @11mm A TTORNEYDec. 16, 1958 I B. E. cURRAN I 2,864,300

BUILDING AND AIR DIsIRIBUIING STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 4, 1956 I l 4sheets-sheet s IN V EN TOR. Bernard E. Curran ATToR/ vEY f Dec. 16, 195sB, E, CURRAN 2,864,300

BUILDING AND AIR DISTRIBUTING-STRUCTURE l Filed Deo. 4, 1956 4Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG."

IN VEN TOR. Bernard E. Curran- BY 'RMwdmlm BUILDING AND AIR DISTRIBUTINGSTRUCURE Bernard E. Curran, Sewiekley, Pa., assignor to H. H. RobertsonCompany, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania ApplicationDecember 4, 1956, Serial No. 626,140

7 Claims. (Cl. 98-31) This invention relates to a building and airdistributing structure and more particularly to a building and airconditioning structure of the type forming the subject matter of UnitedStates patent to R. P. Goemann, No. 2,- 729, 429, dated January 3, 1956.

The Goemann patent discloses a building and air conditioning anddistributing system and apparatus wherein cellular metal floors form theload supporting structure at each of selected stories of a multi-storybuilding, and the present invention has for an object to provide novelapparatus for conducting air from one or more of the air conductingfloor cells to an outlet or discharge unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel connectingapparatus which may be used with advantage in connecting an outlet ordischarge unit to an air conducting cell of a multicellular oor whichincludes provision for temporarily supporting and adjusting a screed boxin surrounding relation to the outlet connecting apparatus during thepouring of a cementitious oor fill over the multicellular loadsupporting floor With these general objects in View and such others asmay hereinafter appear the invention consists in the outlet connectingapparatus for the purpose described and in the various structures,arrangements and combinations hereinafter described and particularlydefined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a portion of a cellular metal oorwherein air is conducted through selected oor cells as shown in saidGoemann patent above referred to;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 viewed in thedirection of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional detail view showing the preferred fo-rmof outlet connecting apparatus erected upon the upper surface of an airconducting cell of a multicellular floor and showing the apparatus fortemporarily supporting a screed box above the cell;

Fig. 3A is a cross sectional detail view of a temporary fastening, to bedescribed;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the temporary screed box supportingapparatus removed and replaced by an air discharge outlet connection;

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail View of the screed box;

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the components of the outletconnecting and screed box supporting apparatus shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a plan View of the screed box and illustrating a modified formof the outlet connecting apparatus;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional detail similar to Fig. 3 illustrating aslightly modied form of the outlet connecting and screed box supportingapparatus;

Fig. 9 is a perspective detail view of a cover member for the screedbox;

Fig. l0 is a vertical sectional view of the outlet connecting and screedbox supporting apparatus applied to ?,864,3(l Patented Dec. 16, 1958 icea structure wherein an air conducting conduit is extended through anon-air conducting portion of the cellular oor; and

Fig. 11 is a similar View of a different structure of air conductingconduit extended through a non-air conducting portion of the cellularHoor.

The building and air conditioning and distributing structure forming thesubject matter of the Goemann patent above referred to embodies acellular metal oor of the type illustrated in the patent to Young, No.1,867,- 433, and wherein a multiplicity of air conducting cells form apart of the structural load supporting cellular metal floor itself. Asillustrated in the Goemann patent, provision is made for supplying air,particularly conditioned air, to selected and a number of spaced airconducting floor cells, and the present invention is particularlyconcerned with novel connecting means or apparatus which may be usedwith advantage in making the connection between one or more of the airconducting cells to outlets disposed above or below a cellular metallicoor. In the various forms of the connecting means, herein illustrated,provision is made for simplifying the labor involved in iieldv erectionof the components and for facilitating the manufacture of the variouscomponents in the plant.

Referring now to the drawings, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, theconnecting apparatus is illustrated as mounted upon an air conductingcell 10 of a multicellular metal floor and air distributing structure ina building of the type illustrated in the Goemann patent above referredto. The air conducting cell 10 is provided with an opening 11 in theupper wall thereof, and the outlet connect ing apparatus is mounted uponthe cell and in registry with the opening in the manner illustrated inFigs. 2 and 4.

ln one form of the invention the outlet connecting apparatus indicatedgenerally at 16 may comprise a pair of similarly shaped hollow shoemembers 24, 26, each having a peripheral outwardly projecting flange 25,27 on their lower ends arranged to embrace the edges of the upper walldefining the opening 11. The hollow shoe members 24, 26 are shaped toenable the upper shoe 24 to nest over the lower shoe 26 and when erectedto dispose the peripheral flange 27 of the lower shoe 26 within the airconducting cell itl and against the portion of the wall surrounding theopening 11 and to dispose the peripheral flange 25 of the upper shoe 24in airtight relation to the corresponding outer surface of the upperwall of the cell, a gasket 29 being provided between the ange 25 andsaid upper surface. The upper ends of the shoe members 24, 26 areprovided with inwardly projecting flanges 31, 33 provided with openingsfor the reception of fastening members so that when the upper anges arepulled together, the lower flanges 26, 27 will be clamped intoengagement with the upper wall of the cell. In practice the upper andlower shoe members 24, 26 may be temporarily secured in assembledrelation to the opening 11 by flat head screws 70 extended throughclearance openings 71, 72 in the flanges 31, 33 and by cooperating nuts74, as indicated in detail in Fig. 3A, the nuts comprising acommercially available quick fastening type known as Tinnerman nuts.

In accordance with the present invention the connecting apparatus isarranged to cooperate with a substantially rectangular screed box 12having an inwardly extended bottom ange 13 and outwardly extended topflanges 15, the box being embedded in the concrete floor tll 14 abovethe air conditioning cell 16 and in surrounding relation to the airdistributing outlet structure 16, novel provision being made forinitially supporting and adjusting the screed box l2 relative to theoutlet connecting structure to present the top flanges 15 of the boxslightly below the screed line so that when a cover member 42 isassembled therewith prior to the pouring operation the upper surface ofthe cover member will be level with the screed line ofthe subsequentlypoured 'concrete' till. As shown in Fig. 3, a screed box supporting andlevelling shoe 21 having an upper outwardly extended `ange 22is`thereinfshown as temporarily connected to the shoe clamping members 24,`26 through upper flanges 31, 33 by screws 2S, the screws extendingthrough clearance openings in member 21 and flange 31 and cooperatingwith threaded openings in llange 33. The levelling shoe 21 is invertedrelative `to the adjacent shoe 24 and may be providedwith a closedbottom wall 30. As herein shown, one set of levelling screws 32 extendsthrough the flange 22 of fmember 21 and into threaded openings 34 in theflange 13 of the screed box so as tov'p-ermit raising or lowering of thebox relative to the outlet connecting structure and to level the top ofthe box parallel with and slightly below the screed line of thesubsequently poured concrete till. A second set of screws 36 extendsthrough `threaded openings 37 in the shoe member 21 and engage the uppersurface of the screed box flange 13 to effect levelling of the boxlaterally and angularly and to lock the loox in its adjusted position.After pouring-and hardening of the concrete floor ll the temporarysupporting and levelling shoe 21 may be remo-ved. The screws 70,together with nut 74, retain the shoe clamping members 24, 26 inassembled relation when the screws 28 are removed, and a stack member 18forming part of t-he air distributing outlet box 19 may be directlyconnected to the top of the shoe member 24 by the screws 28, as shown inFig. 4, a suitable gasket 38 being interposed between the stack flangeand the member 24.

As shown in plan in Fig. 7, in a modified form of levelling member 21the continuous upper iiange may be eliminated and the member 21 mayinstead be provided with laterally extended ears 40 for receiving thelevelling and locking screws 32, 36. Fig. 8 illustrates a furthermodification wherein the side walls of the shoe clamping members 24, 26and the levelling member 21 are vertical rather than tapered as in Fig.3. In practice after the levelling operation the screed box may beprovided with a cover member 42, as shown in Fig. 9, to prevent entranceof concrete during the floor fill operation, the cover being secured byat head screws 75 engages with threaded openings in the flanges 15.

Figs. l and l1 illustrate the screed box 12 and levelling structure inoperative relation to duct elements 44, 46 respectively extended throughthe underside of the ooring wherein air may be conducted from one ormore of the air conducting cells from the underside thereof to an outletunit laterally spaced from the air conducting cells and mounted upon theupper side of the floor. In Fig. l0 the inverted levelling member orshoe 21 is connected by the screws 28 to the shoe member 4S of the ductstructure 44 and is provided with levelling screws 32 and locking screws36. Fig. l1 shows the outlet connecting structure and the levellingmember 2'1 as having straight side walls, the levelling and lockingscrews 32, 36 cooperating with the screed box as above described.

The structure shown in Fig. includes the duct member 44 extended throughan opening in a ynon-air conducting cell 9 of the multicellular -ooringandis provided with outwardly extended upper flanges 49 arranged to restupon a bridge member 5t) extended across adjacent cells of the floor.The lower end of the duct member 44 is provided with inwardly extendedflanges 552 provided with openings adapted for the reception offastening members 54 by which an inverted flanged shoe member 56 may besecured. The shoe member 56 is adapted for connection to an air supplyconduit, not shown, extended transversely of the cells in themulticellular ooring and connected at its other end in communicationwith one of the air conducting cells. A sealing gasket 58 may beprovided between the lower liange 52 and the upper ange of the shoemember 56. The outlet connecting structure indicated generally at 20includes an upper shoe member 48 which is provided with an outwardlyextended lower flange 60 and an inwardly extended upper ange 62 to whichthe inverted supporting and levelling member 21 is connected by thescrews 23. In practice the supporting and levelling member 21'may beremoved upon hardening of the concrete floor till 14 and replaced by anoutlet structure of the type shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

In the modified form illustrated in Fig. l1 the connecting ductstructure 46 is extended through the non-air conducting cell portion 9of the multicellular floor and is provided with an outwardly extendedlower flange 47 at its lower end for connection to an air conductingconduit, not shown, extended from the underside of laterally spaced airconducting cell of the multicellular floor. The upper end of the ductmember 46 is provided with inwardly extended flanges 45 which may beconnected by screws 51 to the inwardly extended anges 53 of a shoemember 55 having outwardly extended ilanges 56 at its lower end restingon the bridge member 5ft extended between adjacent cells of the non-airconducting cellular portion of the multicellular flooring. A gasket 65may be provided between the iianges 53, 45 to provide an airtightconnection. In practice the supporting and levelling member 21 shown inFig. ll may likewise be removed upon hardening of the floor `fill 14 andreplaced by an outlet box structure as above described.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustratedand described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedin other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In an air distributing and building structure, a cellular metal loadsupporting oor having an opening in the upper wall thereof and flangedoutlet connecting means including an upright hollow rectangular shoemember communicating with said opening and supported by said upper walland having side walls, an outwardly extended bottom flange and aninwardly extended top liange extended above said opening, asubstantially rectangular screed box having side walls and an inwardlyextended bottom Hange and means for temporarily supporting and adjustingsaid screed box vertically and angularly with relation to said outletconnecting means to vary the height and level thereof including aninverted rectangular shoe member having side walls and a closed lowerwall and detachably secured to said inwardly extended upright shoeflange, said inverted she member having an outwardly extended liange atits upper end, a set of screws extended through said outwardly extendedinverted shoe llange and threadedly engaged with the bottom ange of saidscreed box, and a second set of screws threaded through said outwardlyextended inverted shoe ange and having their lower ends resting on topof said screed box ange, said temporary supporting and adjusting meansbeing adapted for subsequent removal upon pouring and hardening of aconcrete floor ll over said cellular metal floor to be replaced by anair distributing outlet unit.

2. An air distributing structure as defined in claim l wherein theoutlet connecting means is connected in direct communication with an aircarrying cell of said cellular metal oor.

3. An air distributing structure as defined in claim l wherein thescreed box is provided with a cover to prevent entrance of concreteduring the door fill operation.

4. An air distributing structure as defined in claim 3 wherein thescreed box is provided with outwardly extended upper anges, and whereinthe cover member comprises a flat sheet detachably connected to saidscreed box anges.

5. Inan air distributing and building structure, a cellular metal loadsupporting Hoor having an air conducting cell forming a component of theiloor, said cell having an opening in the upper wall thereof, outletconnecting apparatus comprising an upper upright hollow rectagular shoemember and a lower upright hollow rectangular shoe member each havingside walls and outwardly extended bottom flanges arranged to embrace theinner and outer surfaces of the upper wall portions delning saidopening, the upper of said shoe members being relatively larger andarranged in substantially nesting relation with the lower shoe member,each of said upright shoe members being also provided with inwardlyextended upper anges adapted to be secured together in spaced relationto etfect clamping of said lower ilanges about said opening, asubstantially rectangular screed box having side walls and an inwardlyextended bottom ilange, and means for temporarily supporting andadjusting said screed box vertically and angularly with relation to saidoutlet connecting means to vary the height and level thereof includingan inverted rectangular shoe member having side walls and a closed lowerwall and detachably secured to said inwardly extended flanges of saidupright shoe members, said inverted shoe member having an outwardlyextended ilange at its upper end, a set of screws extended through saidoutwardly extended flange and threadedly engaged with the bottom flangeof said screed box, and a second set of screws threaded through saidoutwardly extended llange and having their lower ends resting on top ofsaid screed box flange, said temporary supporting and adjusting means`being adapted for subsequent removal upon pouring and hardening of aconcrete floor lill over said cellular metal floor to be replaced by anair distributing outlet unit, and separate fastening means for retainingthe upper and lower shoe members in their assembled and clamped relationabout said opening during the removal of said temporary adjusting andsupporting means and attachment of an air distributing outlet unit.

6. In an air distributing and building structure, a cellular metal loadsupporting oor, a connecting air carrying conduit structure including aportion extending upwardly through an opening in a non-air carryingcellular portion of the lloor, outlet connecting means including ahollow upright rectangular shoe member supported by said floor and incommunication with said air carrying conduit, said hollow shoe memberhaving side walls, an outwardly extended bottom flange and an inwardlyextended top ange disposed above the oor opening, a substantiallyrectangular hollow screed box disposed above said outlet connectingmeans and having side walls of an inwardly extended bottom ange, andmeans for temporarily supporting and adjusting said screed boxvertically and angularly with relation to said outlet connecting meansto vary the height and level thereof including an inverted rectangularshoe member having side walls and a closed lower wall and detachablysecured to said inwardly extended upright shoe ilange, said invertedshoe member having an outwardly extended ilange at its upper end, a setof screws extended through said outwardly extended upper flange andthreadedly engaged with the bottom ange of said screed box, and a secondset of screws threaded through said outwardly extended upper ange andhaving their lower ends resting on top of said screed box flange, saidtemporary supporting and adjusting means being adapted for subsequentremoval upon pouring and hardening of a concrete floor lill over saidcellular metal oor to be replaced by an air distributing outlet unit.

7. In an air distributing and building structure, a cellular metal loadsupporting iloor having an air conducting cell forming a component ofthe floor, said cell having an opening in the upper wall thereof, outletconnecting apparatus comprising an upper upright hollow shoe member anda lower upright hollow shoe member each shoe member being rectangularand having side walls and outwardly extended bottom flanges arranged toembrace the inner and outer surfaces of the upper wall portions deliningsaid opening, the upper of said shoe members being larger and arrangedin substantially nesting relation with the lower shoe member, said shoemembers being also provided with inwardly extended upper flanges adaptedto be secured together to effect clamping offsaid lower anges about saidopening, separate fastening means connecting said inwardly extendedflanges for temporarily retaining said shoe members in assembledrelation about said opening, a substantially rectangular hollow screedbox, disposed above said outlet connecting apparatus and meanstemporarily supported by said shoe members for supporting and adjustingsaid screed box vertically and angularly with relation to said outletconnecting apparatus to Vary the height and level thereof, saidtemporary supporting and adjusting means being adapted for subsequentremoval upon pouring and hardening of a floor ll over said cellularfloor to be replaced by an air distributing outlet unit.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTIUN Patent No:l 2,864,300December lo9v 1958' Bernard Curran It is hereby certified that errorappears in the printed specification of the above numbered patentrequiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read ascorrected below.

Column w line 2l, for Hflanges 56" read @e flanges 5'7 meg linel 5Gy for"she memberH read w shoey member me; column 52 line 99 or "eide walls ofanH read m eide' Wallsl and an mt Signed and sealed this 2nd day of June1959o SEAL) `t'tefst:

RL Ha AXLINE :testing Oflcer ROBERT C. WATSON Commissioner of Patents

